Electrically-controlled clock and time-interval transmitter.



H. I. AIKEN. ELI-JOTBIOALLY CONTROLLED CLOCK AND TIME INTERVAL TRANSMITTER.

rum-non mum 11110.9, 190a. nnnswnn no.1, 1910.

996,551 Patented June 27, 1911.

I V a *I M M 3x9 4 3.5- me-amgww WITNE88E8 -M-'JIIIEQQRUQ. in a krromers "aso;s'si'i i ftiiaoTnfoALLY-coN- 'rnonm-zn CLOCK AND TIMF-IN- To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I I'IAROLD I. AIKEN, a

I citizen of the United t-ates, and resident. of

F San Francisco, in the county of San Fran- .character: indicate like views, and in which:

cisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Controlled Clocks and Time Interval 'lransmitters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the control of clocks or other time recording mechanisms, and it consists in the combinations, construclions and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is particularly applicable to time interval signaling, such as time interval systems for artillery fire control, or

for other analogous uses employing instruments-in which absolute chronometrical accuracy, irrespective of. the size, or the weight of, or the load imposed upon the controlled mechanism, is essential.

A further object of.my invention is to provide a controlling and transmitting device for use with instruments which are mechanically separate and distinct, and which may have any of a number of motive 'devices such as springs, suspended weights, electric motors, etc.

A further object of'my invention is to provide a simple form of controlling and transmitting apparatus having few parts and therefore. being less liable to get out of order.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, inwhich similar reference parts in the several im relw ss reality if! pql'tion i W I controlling clock, provided with cirduit closing device s, Fig. 2 is a side view of the circuitcontrolling device shown in Fig. 1, showing the connection of this device with the controlled instrument, Fig ll is a detail device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of the circuit closing device, and Fig. 5 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 4.

In carrying out my invention I make use,

for the controlling instrument, of an accurate clock 1, (preferably, but not necessarily, of the lever type). In the drawing I have only shown a portion of this clock, since the operating mec ianism therefor is not the subjcct of the present invention. Mounted upon the e s capemea t 2 aa d oscillating tlierc- 'ii itli'iifi'light roclfFFrTfifi iil Eii clFend of this rocker arm is provided with an inverted i U-shaped platinum tip yoke, such as those shown at 4 andti, which, at each down stroke, dips into the respective mercury cups f G and 7. The mercury cups are carried on adjustable arms 6 and 7 on the standards 0" and-7" which are secured to the respective brackets 6 and 7. The standards are insulated from each other and from the main clock by suitable insulation 8.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a portion of the controlled instrument. This, as stated above, is mechanically so arate and distinct from the controlling c oclc and may be driven by any suitable source of power. The cscapement wheel E is similar'to the escapement wheel E of the controlling clock.

ment is rovided with a light bar 10 which is pivota ly connected at its ends 10" and 10" with the respective bell-crank levers 11 and 12. The shorter ends of these levers are provided with armatures 11' and 12", respectively, arranged to be'operatcd by the magnets 13 and 14.

13, and the latter to the battery B. Th

The magnet 14 is similarly connected to and standard 7" by the wire 18, and to the battery by the wire 19, while the wire 20 connects the battery to the other standard 7". llio'controlled clock is ireterably provided with one or more im in so wheels 21 which are secured to the shai' wheel E. These impulse wheels may be provided with any number of datenls an arranged to engage the end 2-1 of the bellcrank lever 24 which is pivoted at 25 and i normally held in engagement with the imtractile spring 26. When the end 24' enters the battery ll through the conductors .28, .24, contact .27. conductor 31, signal 32 and back to the battery by the conductor 33. The signal 32 may he a single stroke bell, and a :immlier of these bells ma be connected in end view of a portion of the circuit closing y iuulliple.

From the foregoing description of the varions iarts of the device, the operation thereol nia v be readily understood.

The osci lation of the rocker arm 3 with the eseapement .2 causes the ends 4 and 5 to dip alternately into the mercury cups 6 and 7. hen the eiul 4 is in the mercury cup 6, a circuit is established through the magnet 13, over the following path: battery 13,17,13, 1,5, ti", 6,4, 6, G", 16, back to the batter This energizes the magnet, the armature 11 is at- The escapement Dof the controlled instru- The two standards 6 f are connected with the respective wires 15 and 16, the former leading to the magnej 1 other end of tho'magnet coil is connected to the battery B by means of the conductor 17.

t .22 of the escapeinentl pulse wheel by means of the adjustable con- #the dgt gat 23,35 1; the lever 2 engages the, contact 27, the circuit is established from tracted, and the arm of th e cscapement is rious parts of the device, the operation thereo may be readily understood.

The oscillation of the rocker arm 3 with the escapement 2 causes the ends 4 and 5 to dip alternatelyinto the mercury cups 6 and 7. When the end 4 is in the mercury cup 6, a circuit is established through the magnet 13, over the following path: battery 13, 17,13, 15, G", 6, 4, 6, 6", 16, back to the battery. This energizes the magnet, the armatu e 11 is attracted, and the arm of the escapement is drawn down in the position shown in Fig. 2. When the end 5 of the rocker arm 3 is in the cup 7, the magnet 14 is energized, the circuit being from the battery B through 19, 14, 18, 7", 7, 5,, 7, 7", 20 to-the battery.

The cseapement 9 is then actuated, and the escapement wheel E is turned the space of one tooth. As stated before, the impulse wheels may have an number of detents. In the fi ure I have shown a wheel as being provide with four sets of detents arranged at 90, there being three of these detents in each set. There will therefore be four sets of three strokes each, of the bell 32 during one revolution of the escapement wheel E Of course, other arrangements might be made without departing from the spirit or the sco o of the invention.

11 order to prevent sparking at the mereur cups 6, I provide the condenser O which is s iunted between the two standards 6". A

' similar condenser C is in shunt between the standards 7". The condenser 30 and the conductor 29 form'the shunt circuit between the pivotal connection 25 of the lever. 24 and the contact 27. 'This prevents excessive sparking at' the end of the contact 27.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modified form of the circuit controlling device. In this form, the still spring terminals 34 and 35 have riveted to them the flexible a rim such as that shown at 34". These exib e springs are provided with platinum contact pivotal points such as 34, which project through openings 34' and are arranged to be enga ed by the contacts 3 on each end of the roe (er arm 3. The positionof the contact points 34 maybe regulatedby means of screws similar to that shown at 36.

The device described above, it will be seen, does not involve any mechanism which tends to retard the operation of either, the control-- ling or' the controlled clocks. The power for these clocks, as has been stated, may be entirely independent.

In the use of large instruments, such as tower clocks, or the swinging mechanisms of telescopes or other astronomical instruments, the actuating circuits of the ma ets 13 and 14, or of the signals 32 may be re ayed by local batteries, thereby insuring sufficient current for working these devices.

I claim:

The combination with the escapement of a Eontrolling clock, of a rocker arm secured thereto, and provided with contacts at each end, a pair of adjustable mercury cups secured to said controlling clock at eac 1 end of said rocker arm and adapted'tp receive the respective contacts, a pair of magnets, circultconnections between each pair of mercury cups and said magnets, a controlled clock provided with an escapement, connections from the armatures of each of saidmagnets for o crating the escapement of the controlled sendin wheel secured to the shaft 0 the contro ed clock, a signal, a source of current, an electrical circaitlcomprising said signal and said source of current adapted to be completed by a movement of the impulse sending device.

HAROLD ISAAC AIKEN.

Witnesses:

'ANDREW DAvnNroar Baum,

Cmanrs Hmmr Dmnxsmnn.

ock, an im ulse 

